Review: Soul Taken by Patricia Briggs

 

Soul Taken (Mercy Thompson #13) by Patricia Briggs

Publication Date: August 23rd 2022 by Ace

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

You’d think after thirteen books the Mercy Thompson series might have lost some of its shine, but not so! I was riveted from page one! Wulfe, the vampire obsessed with Mercy, has gone missing and Marsilia, head of the seethe, insists Adam and Mercy find him, or else. However, it seems he isn’t the only one gone. Lots going on here and there’s some information revealed about Sherwood that had me shocked! I don’t want to spill anything more about the plot, just to say it was sooo good!! I love the way Mercy thinks ahead, always strategizing. Still, she doesn’t pick up on everything and who could blame her with so much happening? Of course one of my favorite things about the series is Mercy and Adam’s relationship. They’ve had a few bumps over the course of the series, but they form a united front for anything that comes up against them and their passion for each other comes through loud and clear!

The Mercy Thompson series is my all-time favorite UF series! I’ve read and re-read it multiple times, so Soul Taken was one of my most anticipated reads for 2022. When I got the ARC of Soul Taken, I set aside all my other books and read it and I’ve already ordered the audio version to re-read, and a physical copy for my shelf, so as you can guess I highly recommend it! This is very much a series you need to read in order to appreciate all that is going on, but boy are you in for a treat if you haven’t started it! The audios are fantastic with Lorelei King narrating, her voice has become Mercy to me! Her comedic timing is excellent, and she performs all voices: accents, male, female, etc., superbly! Perfection!

5 Stars

Book Description:

The vampire Wulfe is missing. Since he’s deadly, possibly insane, and his current idea of “fun” is stalking me, some may see it as no great loss. But, warned that his disappearance might bring down the carefully constructed alliances that keep our pack safe, my mate and I must find Wulfe—and hope he’s still alive. As alive as a vampire can be, anyway.

But Wulfe isn’t the only one who has disappeared. And now there are bodies, too. Has the Harvester returned to the Tri-Cities, reaping souls with his cursed sickle? Or is he just a character from a B horror movie and our enemy is someone else?

The farther I follow Wulfe’s trail, the more twisted—and darker—the path becomes. I need to figure out what’s going on before the next body on the ground is mine.

Read-Along Re-Read Review: Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs

Storm Cursed (Mercy Thompson #11) by Patricia Briggs

Publication Date: May 7th 2019 by Ace

Pages: 384

Narrator: Lorelei King

Audiobook Length: 10hrs 15min

Source: Publisher and purchased audio copy

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible

I originally posted this on the blog last year, but as part of my read along with Anne at Books of My Heart I'm re-posting my original review with some thoughts upon re-read. Anne has a grand prize giveaway featured with the read along so hop on over and check it out!

Mercy Thompson continues to be one of my two favorite Urban Fantasy series'! The audios are perfection!

My Thoughts:
Re-read by audio October 25th 2020
Love this series a little more with every re-read! As usual I glean more details that I somehow missed the first time around. Listened to the entire book in one day. Long road trip and then couldn't stop listening when we got home!
 
Original review posted on the blog May 16, 2019:
It seems witches are the issue in Storm Cursed, the newest Mercy Thompson installment. Same with the latest Alpha & Omega (a companion series), Burn Bright. And I think they’re going to be important in the books to come. While it’s not necessary to read Burn Bright before Storm Cursed there are a few connecting dots between the two books. I don’t want to detail the plot because I think it’s best going in not knowing much, but as soon as I started reading I didn’t want to stop! I will say Sherwood Post, Wulfe, Zee, Tad, Elizaveta were big players in this installment, and there are some intriguing surprises.

Mercy Thompson is a series that is consistently amazing and keeps me wishing for more even when the series is at eleven books! That’s not even counting the companion series, Alpha & Omega. I just recently did a re-read of both series, one right after the other, that’s how good it is! Patricia Briggs’ writing is smart, and her stories are well-plotted. I feel like she examines the motivations of each of her characters before setting them on a path of action. Even the fight scenes are well-choreographed and exciting. The relationship between Adam and Mercy is strong, they both lean on each other for support without question, and there’s always an undercurrent of passionate simmering under the surface!

Mercy Thompson is one of my all-time favorite urban fantasy series, and if you haven’t picked it up you are missing out! Best to start at the beginning and read the books in order. I have an e-ARC, but I also bought an audio copy and that’s how I ended up “reading”. Lorelei King’s narration is perfection! Her performance of both her male and female voices are amazing, and her comedic timing when there’s humor is spot on! 

4.5 Suns

Review: Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs

Fire Touched (Mercy Thompson #9) by Patricia Briggs

Publication Date: March 8th 2016 by Ace

Source: Publisher and purchased audio book

Pages: 342

Narration Length: 10 hrs 7 min

Narrators: Lorelei King

Rating: ★★★★½ 

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible | Goodreads

About the book: 

Tensions between the fae and humans are coming to a head. And when coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her Alpha werewolf mate, Adam, are called upon to stop a rampaging troll, they find themselves with something that could be used to make the fae back down and forestall out-and-out war: a human child stolen long ago by the fae.

Defying the most powerful werewolf in the country, the humans, and the fae, Mercy, Adam, and their pack choose to protect the boy no matter what the cost. But who will protect them from a boy who is fire touched?

I originally posted this on The Readers Den, but as part of my read along with Anne at Books of My Heart I'm posting my original review for Fire Touched here. Mercy Thompson continues to be one of my two favorite Urban Fantasy series' and I'm working my way through a third time. Every time I notice new things and love the story just a little bit more. The audios are perfection!

Re-read 3rd time June 23rd 2020

Re-read April 1st 2017

My Thoughts:
When the Fae let a monster loose, the Pack are called to take it down, since the police can’t make any headway and lives are at stake. Zee and Tad join in the fight bringing with them an odd, fire-touched boy named Aiden who seeks the Pack’s protection from the Fae. Taking in Aiden brings all kinds of risk and problems, but we all know Mercy and Adam would never turn their back on someone seeking safety. At the end of the battle, Mercy draws a line in the sand with the Fae, and claims the Tri-Cities as the pack’s territory saddling them with new responsibilities, protection of its citizens being one those. This has far reaching effects on the Pack which could result in an all out war with the Fae. Can Mercy and Adam defuse the situation all the while standing their ground? I was glued to the pages to find out!

As usual with the Mercy Thompson series, once I started Fire Touched I couldn’t put it down. The Fae are very much front and center in this installment, which dives into action and danger pretty quickly. The Fae are creepy and volatile for the most part, and I love getting a little more of their history and secrets when a Fae centered installment comes along. I was definitely thrilled to have grouchy Zee back, since we haven’t had much from him lately.

The dynamics of pack hierarchy and relationships continue to fascinate me. Adam makes a proclamation to the Pack and I was overjoyed! I felt it was a long time coming, and oddly enough, it had a unifying effect over the Pack. Adam and Mercy continue strongly united and very much in love, while still being interesting and hot together. Their bond warms my heart a more and more with every installment!

I’m always impressed how masterfully Mercy sizes up situations, uses her brain before speaking, (something I could do a little more of!) and comes out on top because of it!

Still can’t stand Christy! She makes my blood boil every time she’s in a scene. That Mercy doesn’t scratch her eyes out is a miracle in my opinion! Thankfully, Christy’s presence is kept to a minimum.

There were a couple of side stories that really grabbed my interest. I’d love to continue on with Thomas and Margaret’s story. Thomas is the vampire in Frost Burned who fought by Mercy’s side, and he’s accompanying Margaret, a fae, to meet with the Gray Lords. This is a story of unrequited love and I need more, please! Then there’s Sherwood Post, a werewolf Bran sent to Adam’s pack. He’s a bit damaged since he lost one of his legs, and feels sort of useless to the Pack. I won’t go further into his portion of the story, but I’m hopeful we get more of him in the future.

I’m addicted to anything Patricia Briggs writes, Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega are in my top five favorite Urban Fantasy series, and Fire Touched is another winner for me. Just makes me want to go back and read them all over again!

Review: Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs

Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson #2) by Patricia Briggs

Publication Date: January 7th 2007 by Ace

Pages: 335

Narrator: Lorelei King

Audiobook Length: 10hrs 2min

Source: Purchased Audio & e-book

Purchase Link: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

About the book:

Mechanic Mercy Thompson has friends in low places - and in dark ones. And now she owes one of them a favor. Since she can shapeshift at will, she agrees to act as some extra muscle when her vampire friend Stefan goes to deliver a message to another of his kind.

But this new vampire is hardly ordinary - and neither is the demon inside of him.

So FYI, I originally read and posted this review while on another blog: The Readers Den, back in August of 2013, but as I participate in of Anne @Books of My Heart read-along & series giveaway (For info & giveaway click HERE). I thought I'd re-post my review and my re-read updates. I first re-read the entire series back in 2017 and I've just started my third re-read a couple of weeks ago. This series is so awesome and I can't recommend it more, so if you're at all interested join all of us in the read-along!

My Thoughts:

Re-read for the 3rd time April 2nd, 2020. I notice more to love with every re-read! 

Re-read March 21st 2017. Even better the 2nd time around!

4.5 Stars

Blood Bound, the second installment in the Mercy Thompson series has me officially addicted!

This begins as Mercy’s friend, Stephan the vampire, calls in a favor owed. Little does she know that repayment puts her and the pack in grave danger, not something Stephan intended, either. What they stumble upon is a powerful threat that Mercy can’t let stand and before you know it, she’s waist high in dangerous vampire politics. Trying to distinguish the truth from subterfuge is difficult and vital if Mercy plans on staying alive.

Like most UF’s I’ve picked up, Mercy Thompson has a new mystery/problem to overcome with each book and also a continuing story arc that progresses, bit by bit in each installment. The new mystery is the vampire/sorcerer-crazy with massive amounts of power and wicked intent. There were parts of this story that genuinely made heart race from fear! Vampires are scary (and not sparkly), especially in the end!

I love Mercedes Thompson! She’s intelligent, a master of reading complicated situations and handling them with care. She reads between the lines and looks beyond the obvious, making her a force to be reckoned with.

The continuing arc is the romance, and it’s the part I love best! There is sort of a love triangle with Adam and Samuel in the mix, but not in an irritating way. Samuel has decided to stay in Washington, more specifically, with Mercy, when she’s made it clear she’s not interested. Samuel makes it clear he is. He was her first love but finding out exactly why he was interested her sent her running years ago. Highlight for spoiler: Mercy could bear his children, ones that would have the potential to be born werewolves, and therefore Samuel would have children he wouldn’t outlive. Finding out this was more a motivator than love broke Mercy’s heart at sixteen. End of spoiler. Now that Mercy looks back, though, she doesn’t regret the situation, because she realizes now that Samuel, as dominant as he is, would’ve wrapped her up in a protective cocoon and stifled her independent spirit.

Adam, the Alpha of the pack is domineering but still respects and appreciates Mercy for who she is rather than what she can do. He’s attracted to Mercy the woman, and isn’t looking for a pack brood mare. Mercy knew that Adam claimed her as his mate but thinks this was in name only, just for protection. A lone “walker” coyote like Mercy without protection would be a target for the wolves and probably wouldn’t last long. A few things happen that make it apparent that Adam’s “claim” has more power and sincerity behind it. This puts Mercy in a bind with Samuel back. Poor Mercy, *not* with two handsome, possessive, alpha males after her!

This was an exciting, and sometimes frightening read. Parts at the end gave me chills and goose bumps! I tried to force myself to put it aside just for my commutes. Something I wasn’t at all successful at! I’ve just finished book three: Iron Kissed, and I have to say the series just gets better!

I loved Lorelei King as the narrator. She has a warm, rich voice with a slightly sarcastic and humorous tone that I find perfect for Mercy. Her male voices are also quite good, as well, and the story flowed seamlessly because of it. I highly recommend the audio version!

4.5 Suns

Review: Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Moon Called (Mercy Thompson #1) by Patricia Briggs

Publication Date: January 31st 2006 by Ace

Pages: 295

Narrator: Lorelei King

Audiobook length: 9hrs 14min

Source: Purchased e-book & Audiobook

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible

About the book:

Mercedes Thompson, aka Mercy, is a talented Volkswagen mechanic living in the Tri-Cities area of Washington. She also happens to be a walker, a magical being with the power to shift into a coyote at will. Mercy's next-door neighbor is a werewolf. Her former boss is a gremlin. And she's fixing a bus for a vampire. This is the world of Mercy Thompson, one that looks a lot like ours but is populated by those things that go bump in the night. And Mercy's connection to those things is about to get her into some serious hot water...

So fyi, I originally read and posted this review while on another blog: The Readers Den, back in July of 2013, but as I participate in of Anne @Books of My Heart read-along & series giveaway (For info & giveaway click HERE). I thought I'd re-post my review and my re-read updates. I first re-read the entire series back in 2017 and I've just started my third re-read this last week. This series is so awesome and I can't recommend it more, so if you're at all interested join all of us in the read-along! My Thoughts: Re-read for a third time March 29th 2020 and I'm upping my rating from 4 stars to 5! With each re-read my appreciation for the writing, characters, and story grows. The story was captivating even knowing what happens, and with each re-read I notice new things I missed previously. I've already started on book two! I listened to the audio again. Lorelei King's performance is perfection! She is Mercy Thompson to me! Re-Read March 19th 2017. Still awesome! Moon Called is the first book in the Mercy Thompson Urban Fantasy series, and it was a strong start. It was fun, fast paced, with strong characters and an engrossing plot. I love my female protags to have some spunk and be able to kick a little ass and Mercy Thompson ticks all those boxes and more! Mercy Thompson is a “walker” and can shapeshift into a coyote. Mercy isn’t a werewolf but she is very close to them after being raised by a powerful pack. At sixteen, she leaves after the pack Alpha sends her away to prevent her mating with his son, Sam. Now situated in the state of Washington as an auto mechanic, she comes under the Columbia Basin Wolves’ pack in a round-about way, under the charismatic, hot-tempered (and just plain HOT) Alpha, Adam. Not that she admits to it, mind you. Being a coyote she’s not obligated to be under any pack. When Adam is attacked and his teenage daughter, Jesse, is kidnapped, Mercy takes it upon herself to help him and track down his daughter. Mercy returns to her roots for help in unraveling this mystery and getting Jesse back safely. Her past and present collide in the form of Sam and Adam. We are tossed into Mercy’s world with her as our guide, and as a narrator she’s easy to like and root for. If you’re tired of frustrating or whiny female leads, Mercy is your girl! She’s a smart, witty, and feeds us just enough background information so we’re not lost in the story, yet doesn’t overwhelm with too many details. This makes me extremely happy because info dumping is a sure-fire way to put me to sleep! I steeled myself to be patient with this book because I’ve come to realize that in UF usually the first book lays the groundwork for the whole series and might not be as satisfying or riveting because of that. This was not the case in Moon Called. I was immediately drawn into the story and it captured and held my attention just fine throughout. Also, because this is the first book in the series, the romance is just getting started. It seems possible for Adam or Sam to be the love interest, there’s definite chemistry between Mercy and both of them. But it does sway to one a little more than the other by the end. Moon Called wraps up nicely with the main mystery solved by the end, however, the story of the characters, and their relationships have just begun. I can’t wait to see how everything plays out and I’ve got the next one locked and loaded, ready to listen to. Lorelei King narrates this story and she is spot on! I’m familiar with this performer because she narrates the Charley Davidson series as well. She brings just the right amount of sarcastic inflection when needed to make the character’s wit and spunk come through loud and clear. She does a great job with the male voices as well, and most of the time it doesn’t even cross your mind that a female is narrating those parts. Her performance made the story come alive.

5 Suns

Review: Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs

Storm Cursed (Mercy Thompson #11) by Patricia Briggs

Publication Date: May 7th 2019 by Ace

Pages: 384

Source: Publisher and purchased audio copy

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible

About the book:

In this powerful entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, Mercy Thompson must face a deadly enemy to defend all she loves...
My name is Mercedes Athena Thompson Hauptman, and I am a car mechanic.
And a coyote shapeshifter.
And the mate of the Alpha of the Columbia Basin werewolf pack.
Even so, none of that would have gotten me into trouble if, a few months ago, I hadn't stood upon a bridge and taken responsibility for the safety of the citizens who lived in our territory. It seemed like the thing to do at the time. It should have only involved hunting down killer goblins, zombie goats, and an occasional troll. Instead, our home was viewed as neutral ground, a place where humans would feel safe to come and treat with the fae.
The reality is that nothing and no one is safe. As generals and politicians face off with the Gray Lords of the fae, a storm is coming and her name is Death.
But we are pack, and we have given our word.
We will die to keep it.

My Thoughts:

It seems witches are the issue in Storm Cursed, the newest Mercy Thompson installment. Same with the latest Alpha & Omega (a companion series), Burn Bright. And I think they’re going to be important in the books to come.  While it’s not necessary to read Burn Bright before Storm Cursed there are a few connecting dots between the two books.  I don’t want to detail the plot because I think it’s best going in not knowing much, but as soon as I started reading I didn’t want to stop!  I will say Sherwood Post, Wulfe, Zee, Tad, Elizaveta were big players in this installment, and there are some intriguing surprises.

Mercy Thompson is a series that is consistently amazing and keeps me wishing for more even when the series is at eleven books! That’s not even counting the companion series, Alpha & Omega.  I just recently did a re-read of both series, one right after the other, that’s how good it is!  Patricia Briggs’ writing is smart, and her stories are well-plotted. I feel like she examines the motivations of each of her characters before setting them on a path of action.  Even the fight scenes are well-choreographed and exciting.  The relationship between Adam and Mercy is strong, they both lean on each other for support without question, and there’s always an undercurrent of passionate simmering under the surface!

Mercy Thompson is one of my all-time favorite urban fantasy series, and if you haven’t picked it up you are missing out!  Best to start at the beginning and read the books in order.  I have an e-ARC, but I also bought an audio copy and that’s how I ended up “reading”.  Lorelei King’s narration is perfection! Her performance of both her male and female voices are amazing, and her comedic timing when there’s humor is spot on!  

4.5 Suns